+~+~ Vintage Photograph ~+~+ Salt of the earth Sailor

This is the moment a diver appears to shake hands with a giant whale. The divers were just metres away when one humpback whale – which weighs – extends its giant flipper in a peaceful manner. (Photo by Masa Ushioda/SeaPics/Solent News

Astonishing pictures show how a Devon kayaker got up close and personal with a humpback whale feeding frenzy

Humpback whale 'lobtailing' in Chatham Strait. The whale brings its tail down hard on the surface of the water - a sound that can be heard for a distance of several hundred metres underwater. Taken by kayaking photographer Duncan Murrell